Driving for zero: fatigue

Tired driving is lethal.

Crashes caused by drivers who have nodded off typically involve vehicles running off the road or into another vehicle at high speed, because sleeping drivers do not brake; so the risk of death or serious injury is high. Even if tired drivers don’t fall asleep, they still pose a danger. Too little sleep affects ability to drive safely, increasing reaction times, reducing attention, and reducing ability to control the vehicle. Research suggests driving tired can be as dangerous as drink-driving, and only sleep is a proven method for preventing it.

Tired driving is a significant cause of casualties. A study of crashes on Britain's most monotonous roads (motorways and A roads) found one in four fatal or serious injury crashes was due to tired driving. Causes are lack of sleep, irregular sleep, lack of breaks and driving in the early hours. Fatigue can be exacerbated by lack of stimulation on monotonous roads. There are also health-related causes, such as sleep apnoea (which causes day-time sleepiness and is treatable but can go undiagnosed) and some medications cause drowsiness.

Tired driving is common and many drivers still don't take it seriously enough. A Brake and Direct Line survey found a third of drivers (35%) admit to feeling tired and "pushing on", engaging in useless measures to combat fatigue. Winding down the window, listening to music and talking to a passenger do not help. Caffeine may be of only limited, short term value, but using it on its own to combat driver tiredness is not recommended. Only sleep is effective.

At-work drivers are at risk of tired driving, because they typically spend longer hours at the wheel, often on monotonous roads: four in 10 tiredness-related crashes are estimated to involve an at-work tired driver. EC regulations limit driving hours and stipulate rest breaks for large vehicles, but drivers of vans weighing under 3.5 tonnes are not required to take rest periods or record their driving hours.

Drivers under 30 may also be at higher risk of sleep-related crashes than older drivers due to propensity to stay up late.

There are several reasons why driver tiredness is a particular concern today. There is growth in:

traffic on our monotonous motorway and A road network. Miles travelled by vehicles on the Strategic Road Network (motorways and many of our A roads, as managed by Highways England) rose from under 85bn in 2012/13 to nearly 90bn in 2015/16 and traffic is expected to grow up to a further 60% by 2040 compared with 2010.

vehicles being driven for work, with vans the fastest growing type of any vehicle on the Strategic Road Network.

There is also concern about road infrastructure not being of the highest quality, contributing to worse outcomes when tired drivers crash. Highways England is working to improve the safety standards of motorways and A roads, including barriers.

What are we calling for?

Launch a review of GB domestic rules regarding drivers' hours, which do not require at-work van or car drivers to take rest breaks.

Ensure Brexit does not result in EU goods and passenger vehicle regulations relating to drivers' hours, being slackened.

Ensure prioritisation of the upgrading of central barriers on the Strategic Road Network through implementation of the Road Investment Strategy (as managed by Highways England).

Review eye-lid detection DDDR systems. and consider after-market fitment in our largest vehicles (mandating, or enabling through subsidy) in line with recommendations about the efficacy of these systems by TRL (the UK's Transport Research Laboratory) to the EU. Research has found significant correlation between drooping eyelids (including "microsleeps" lasting seconds) and crashes.

Require the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to publish clinical guidelines on the management of sleep apnoea and similar disorders to aid medical practitioners in diagnosing and treating such disorders.

Review labelling of medication that causes drowsiness, to ensure it warns about driving as well as machinery operation.

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Every 30 seconds someone, somewhere in the world is killed in a road crash. Brake works to stop road deaths and injuries by campaigning for safer roads; supports people bereaved or injured in road crashes; and raises public awareness for sustainable transport. Registered charity No. 1093244